Spain withdraws Chinese toothpaste from the oral care market

Spanish authorities have instigated an EU-wide response to
hazardous toothpaste products originating from China, with the
announcement that it is to withdraw certain brands from the Spanish
market.

The European Commission announced this week that Spain is the
latest in a long line of countries to retract two Chinese
toothpaste products that have been deemed a threat to public
health.
Following laboratory tests, two brands - Spearmint and Trileaf
Spearmint - were removed from the oral hygiene market due to
trace elements of DEG (diethylene glycol) being found, a substance
used in antifreeze and solvents.
As the alert was registered on the Commission's RAPEX system, an EU
wide Rapid Alert System for non-food dangerous products, other
member states are now formally obliged to take follow up action on
their own markets, and to inform the Commission about any action
they have taken regarding the issue.
By alerting other member states to the hazard, Spain will no doubt
instigate widespread EU testing on all toothpaste products -
increasing the impact already felt on the Chinese oral care
industry.
Indeed, following the announcement both Italian and Portuguese
authorities have made market checks, and recalled certain products,
according to the European
Commission.
The move follows widespread concern across the US over the
poisonous chemical in toothpastes, with the US Food and Drug
Administration recently advising consumers to avoid buying any
toothpaste labelled as made in China.
Previous reports have found that authorities in Panama, the
Dominican Republic and Australia have found DEG, known to
have been a source of a number of mass poisonings, usually from
adulterated medicines, in toothpaste products.
The FDA recently called for a block on all consignments of
toothpaste at US borders until tests show that such imports are
categorically safe.
Because of international free trade agreements this means that
consignments of imported Chinese toothpaste have been legally
allowed into the US, but FDA officials are now particularly worried
about gray market and counterfeit products that may have entered
the country through illegal and unregulated channels.
The commission mirrored this, with EU consumer commissioner Meglena
Kuneva stating, "The Commission urges consumers to not buy
counterfeit products and to contact authorities in case of doubts.
The EU RAPEX alert system has demonstrated its value in this case
and has paved the way for a rapid EU-wide safety response prompted
by the vigilance of the Spanish
authorities". ​​Spanish authorites did
concede that the products found pose only a moderate immediate risk
for the health and safety of consumers.
"To date, there are no known reports of human poisonings or
adverse clinical effects caused by this toothpaste. However, even
this is an unacceptable risk. Also, in the light of the global
scale of the issue, we are working closely with national
authorities to address any potential risk seriously and in
depth",​ said Kuneva.
Kuneva is due to travel to China at the end of the month as part of
an on-going dialogue with the Chinese government to discuss a range
of issues with the Chinese authorities - in particular issues
relating to product safety.